1 T ake heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

“Be sure you do not do good things in front of others just to be seen by them. If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 W hen therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.

When you give to the poor, do not be as those who pretend to be someone they are not. They blow a horn in the places of worship and in the streets so people may respect them. For sure, I tell you, they have all the reward they are going to get.

3 B ut when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

When you give, do not let your left hand know what your right hand gives.

4 t hat thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

Your giving should be in secret. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. Jesus Teaches about Prayer

5 A nd when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.

“When you pray, do not be as those who pretend to be someone they are not. They love to stand and pray in the places of worship or in the streets so people can see them. For sure, I tell you, they have all the reward they are going to get.

6 B ut thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

When you pray, go into a room by yourself. After you have shut the door, pray to your Father Who is in secret. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you.

7 A nd in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

When you pray, do not say the same thing over and over again making long prayers like the people who do not know God. They think they are heard because their prayers are long.

8 B e not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 A fter this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

“Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, Your name is holy.

10 T hy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

May Your holy nation come. What You want done, may it be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11 G ive us this day our daily bread.

Give us the bread we need today.

12 A nd forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

13 A nd bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

‘Do not let us be tempted, but keep us from sin. Your nation is holy. You have power and shining-greatness forever. Let it be so.’ Jesus Teaches about Forgiveness

14 F or if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

“If you forgive people their sins, your Father in heaven will forgive your sins also.

15 B ut if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

If you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Jesus Teaches about Not Eating So You Can Pray Better

16 M oreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.

“When you go without food so you can pray better, do not be as those who pretend to be someone they are not. They make themselves look sad so people will see they are going with out food. For sure, I tell you, they have all the reward they are going to get.

17 B ut thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

When you go without food so you can pray better, put oil on your head and wash your face.

18 t hat thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.

Then nobody knows you are going without food. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. Jesus Teaches about Having Riches

19 L ay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:

“Do not gather together for yourself riches of this earth. They will be eaten by bugs and become rusted. Men can break in and steal them.

20 b ut lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Gather together riches in heaven where they will not be eaten by bugs or become rusted. Men cannot break in and steal them.

21 f or where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.

For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also.

22 T he lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

The eye is the light of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

23 B ut if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!

If your eye is bad, your whole body will be dark. If the light in you is dark, how dark it will be!

24 N o man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

No one can have two bosses. He will hate the one and love the other. Or he will listen to the one and work against the other. You cannot have both God and riches as your boss at the same time. Jesus Teaches about Cares of Life

25 T herefore I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?

“I tell you this: Do not worry about your life. Do not worry about what you are going to eat and drink. Do not worry about what you are going to wear. Is not life more important than food? Is not the body more important than clothes?

26 B ehold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they?

Look at the birds in the sky. They do not plant seeds. They do not gather grain. They do not put grain into a building to keep. Yet your Father in heaven feeds them! Are you not more important than the birds?

27 A nd which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life?

Which of you can make himself a little taller by worrying?

28 A nd why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

Why should you worry about clothes? Think how the flowers grow. They do not work or make cloth.

29 y et I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

But I tell you that Solomon in all his greatness was not dressed as well as one of these flowers.

30 B ut if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

God clothes the grass of the field. It lives today and is burned in the stove tomorrow. How much more will He give you clothes? You have so little faith!

31 B e not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Do not worry. Do not keep saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘What will we wear?’

32 F or after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

The people who do not know God are looking for all these things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things.

33 B ut seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

First of all, look for the holy nation of God. Be right with Him. All these other things will be given to you also.

34 B e not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will have its own worries. The troubles we have in a day are enough for one day.